Beyond Fest kicked off Tuesday night with an electronic anniversary screening of Jan de Bont’s iconic blockbuster speed What follows is an epic 50-minute Q&A with the filmmaker and his stars Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock, a 30-year reunion.
It was clear long before the screening that this event, part of the Egyptian Theater’s American Film Archive series, was going to be special. Reeves, Bullock and De Bont had never before shared the stage to discuss their work on the 1984 film, which became an unexpected hit after grossing more than $350 million worldwide on a budget of $30 million. Reeves and Bullock haven’t appeared in public together in more than a decade, although they often speak well of each other on talk shows or in magazines.
It was also a rare night for Bullock, who has kept a low profile since “Successful Release.” lost city In the summer of 2022, her partner Bryan Randall died a year later in August 2023. Joint interview with Reeves. speed From the podcast, 50 mphto commemorate the milestone 30th anniversary. Tarpley praised the impetus behind the Beyond Fest screening and helped kick off the event with a brief introduction. “I can’t wait for the energy in this room tonight,” Tarpley joked after noting the size of the crowd.
All 516 seats inside the Egyptian restaurant were taken, much to the dismay of dozens of people stuck in line outside, some of whom had queued for hours in the Egyptian courtyard in the hope of grabbing one. seat. Those who did see the 20th Century Fox action drama made the most of its one-hour, 56-minute runtime, erupting in rapturous applause at least six times after the film’s key moments. They also welcomed the trio onto the stage with a standing ovation.
Even De Bont was impressed by what he saw. After asking a few questions during a Q&A hosted by Jim Hemphill, the filmmaker took a short detour to give his A-list a shout-out. “Before we go on, I have to say one thing,” he pointed out, “just a few seconds ago we met outside and I saw them for the first time in 30 years. When I was here watching a movie [tonight]I have never been so proud of these two actors. The things they did for me – things that were often unnatural to them, the things they had to do – were just incredible. The relationship these two build together is absolutely amazing. It was so realistic to see them back on screen tonight. They are absolutely perfect. All the emotions are right, all the laughter is right, all the smiles, all the kisses are right. Really, really cool. I have to tell them how great they are.
Hemphill, DeBont, Reeves and Bullock. “I can speak for everyone when I say that this was truly one of the best nights at the movies of my life,” Hemphill said at the end of the Q&A.
Photo Credit: Jared Cowan for Beyond Fest at the American Film Center at the Egyptian Theater
Written by Graham Yost, speed Reeves plays Los Angeles police detective Jack Traven, who finds himself at the center of a hostage crisis when madman Howard Payne (Dennis Hopper) plants explosives on a Los Angeles bus. What’s the gain? If the bus goes less than 50 miles per hour, it explodes, forcing Traven to find a way to save passengers and avoid tragedy. After a bus driver is accidentally shot and killed, Bullock plays Annie Porter, an unexpected bus passenger who jumps into the driver’s seat to take control of the chaotic situation.
The lively Q&A covers the behind-the-scenes creative process and the chemistry between Reeves and Bullock that set the stage for the film’s success. speed In order to become two of Hollywood’s most profitable and beloved stars, the way De Bont moved on camera – “I wanted everything to be on real roads, real speed, real fast and real danger” – Of course, there’s the question everyone’s been asking for years: Which one? Speed 3? Below are highlights of the conversation.
Reeves and Bullock in the stills speed. The actors later reunited Lake House Hotel When she went on to star in a speed Reeves passed up the opportunity to star opposite Jason Patric in the sequel.
Courtesy of 20th Century Fox
De Bont talks about when he knew something special was happening during production:
“I knew early on that we had something, and in that moment I saw Keanu and Sandra working as a team and doing most of the stunts themselves, which was awesome. Their reactions were based on real reactions because They have to react to what they’re doing, which makes it so great and so relatable, and there are so many funny lines in the movie, and it’s basically non-stop action, no CGI. No. This is all true.
De Bont explains how he got the chance to make his directorial debut:
“I found this [script] basically [in a pile] Productions that were never produced at Paramount. I think there are a lot of possibilities with this movie and I can really see it as the type of movie I want to make. Here, everything happens non-stop and people are closely connected. They have always been very close and must be connected to each other. I felt like I could really do a lot of things…because I didn’t want to be doing things in a studio and filming on a stage. I want this to all happen on real roads, at real speeds, with real speeds and real dangers. When a bus has two wheels, it only has two wheels. When it came onto the off-ramp, yes, it hit every vehicle.
Bullock said she got the job because other actresses passed:
“I was new on the block and it made me nervous. I remember arriving [to the audition]. I remember the car I drove. I remember what I was thinking. I remember the door. I walked in and I remember the room was a little dark. I’m happy to be there. I’m very excited. I didn’t think I was going to get the job, but the only reason I got the job was because I was fighting for it—that’s the only thing. Well, others said no, and there were others before me. I’ve seen them. One, two, and three can’t be done [to de Bont] And then you saw me in the dark room.
Hemphill, DeBont, Reeves and Bullock.
Photo Credit: Jared Cowan for Beyond Fest at the American Film Center at the Egyptian Theater
Reeves explained why he accepted the role after initially turning it down:
“I read the second draft and the next draft and I thought, oh, yeah, okay… this might be fun. I met this crazy genius and I was like, oh, yeah, this is one director. This is a man with a vision. This is a man who is passionate about this story. At the time, I think the thing that impressed me most was the cinematographer Die Hard. When he fired, I was like, fuck, yeah.
Bullock actually obtained a bus driver’s license for the film (although she didn’t drive while filming):
“The funny thing is, I was steering the bus but there was someone behind me driving along the roof. Someone was driving and I got hit where Jane felt I needed to hit. But never, never [was I actually driving]. I did get my Santa Monica bus driver’s license. I did it! This is not an easy vehicle to maneuver.
De Bont came up with the idea of having the bus fly through the air while driving:
“I was actually driving on the highway when I realized there was a section missing. I thought it would be a great way to end that section or the climax of the highway sequence. Then I started talking to different stunt people and asking us How can this be done? How fast do two people need to travel a certain distance? We lighten the bus to make it as light as possible and we have a driver who is literally not sitting on this chair, he is hanging on the chair. on, because the landing can be really bad for you. A bus was built specifically for this stunt, and when we were actually getting ready to shoot it, I was trying to be nice to the driver and the stuntman and I said, “Get it.” Good speed is very important, otherwise you won’t be successful. ” He said, “Oh, yes, yes, yes, I can do that. “The first time we shot it… he got scared at the last moment on the ramp and he started to slow down and unfortunately, he didn’t make it to the other side and he landed on seven cameras right below , all the cameras were placed on it to film it. That bus was destroyed and I said, ‘Don’t tell the studio, don’t tell the studio.
In a pivotal scene where he gets off the bus, Bullock praises Levi for more than just his performance:
“I wore a very light skirt with a jumpsuit underneath. When we started rehearsing, I noticed that the speed of the air would shoot the skirt over my head, which was the bottom. For me, Keanu’s job is the most important, which is to [his] My hands were positioned so that the skirt wouldn’t fly over my head. Not only did you have to do stunts to keep me safe, he had to maintain my integrity by hiding things that didn’t need to be seen on a 17-foot screen. This is how I remember that day.
Reeves and De Bont talked about the late Dennis Hopper, who played the villain in the movie:
“He’s charismatic and very loyal,” Reeves praised, with DeBont chiming in, “and he’s also a little crazy.” Reeves: “Yeah. We say he’s a little crazy, but he’s totally A pro. He was a total pro and we had some ridiculous conversations, which was great.
Bullock’s collaboration with Hope:
“I’m surprised – I don’t like this word – how normal he is. I mean, he may be weird to you, but he’s very lovable to me. He loves his art. He loves talking about it. Art, collecting art, local artists. He was a guy who couldn’t get enough of life and he just wanted more and more from it. In the early stages of my career, I was with such great people. I got everything together. I had everything under one umbrella. To work with Dennis, you have to break away from that and get into character, but sometimes you have to stop and his whole filmography just goes. flash before your eyes.
De Bont talks about the success of movies like this speed Brings unexpected challenges:
“Once you make a successful movie, it’s hard to continue. The pressure to make these movies is quite high because it’s so intense and there’s so much action happening all the time that, as a director, it’s long after the movie is over. There comes a time when you get completely burned out. My life does change, and you get more projects, which is great, but I also find it hard to come up with new ideas that I like. At that time, I felt like I was the audience. If I were the audience in the theater, what would I want to see now?
About the possibility Speed 3:
“Senior version. This isn’t going to happen anytime soon,” Bullock quipped before turning his attention to DeBont. “All of these things happened because of that crazy guy over there in the green jacket. He was so gentle and gentle today, and I thought, that’s not the same person I remember. But he was the one who put the energy and the ideas together People who know what the audience wants and ask for it, and everyone steps up and performs. So what kind of movie would please Jane’s brain and talent? I don’t know that it takes a lot from everyone. Are you in an industry that is willing to tolerate it and is brave enough to do it? Maybe I could be wrong…if he can’t. [what’s in his brain] To the audience, he feels like a failure. I don’t know what we can do to satisfy the audience.
Reeves and Bullock.
Photo Credit: Jared Cowan for Beyond Fest at the American Film Center at the Egyptian Theater
